Roller-bearing.



No. 642,342. Patented 1an. 3o, |900. A. LEvEuAHL.

ROLLER BEARING.

(Apphcatlon led Apr 1, 1899 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

T@ f mui/@WMM No. 642,342. Patented 1an. 30, i900.

A, LEVEDAHL'. RLLER BEARING.

(Application med AprQzl, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

" IIIIIIIIIUHKL No. 642,342. Patentedlan. 30, |900.`

A LEVEDAHL RDLLER BEARING.

(Application led Apr. 21, 1899 3 She'ets--Sheet 3.

(N0 Model.)

UNrTnn STATES PATENT Fries.

AXEL LEVEDAHL, vOF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AURORA AUTOMATIC MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ROLLER-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 642,342, dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed April 2l, 1899. SerialNo. 713,947. (No model.)

To all whom, it 11i/ay concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL LEvEDAHL, of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Bearings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved construction in antifriction roller-hearings for shafts, journals, and the like of that class embracing,in connection with the shaft, journal, or other cylindric rotative part, an exterior shell or housing` having an annular bearingsurface, rollers interposed between the journal and the shell or housing, and a rotative cage consisting` of two connected heads or ends in which the ends of the said rollers are j ournaled, which is carried by said rollers and by which the said rollers are held constantly in parallel relation during their bodily motion around the bearing-surface.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and delined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figures 1 and 2 are end elevations of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line A 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the outer casing or housing. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the housing, showing the parts thereof separated to better illustrate the construction thereof and means of uniting the same. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the cage constituting a part of my invention. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of one of the halves of the cage shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is an elevation of a two-part notched bearing-ring, the parts thereof being slightly separated for purposes of illustration. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the ring shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is an elevation of a ring designed to be rigidly secured at one end of the said cage and to form therewith and with the shell a ballrace. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the ring shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a section taken longitudinally through the cage, showing parts broken away. Fig. 15 is a sectional View illustrating a modiication of my invention. Fig. 16 is a longitudinal section of a modification of cage constituting a part of my invention. Fig. 17 is a section taken on. line 17 17 of Fig. 16. 18 is aside elevation of the modified cage. Fig. 19 is a section through the fixed cup shown in portion of the head. Fig. 2O is a section, taken on line 2O 2O of Fig. 17, similar to that shown in Fig. 19 and illustrating the construction of the bearing at the opposite end of the cage. Fig. 21 is a side elevation of a lock-ring embodied in my invention.

As shown in the drawings, A indicates a cylindrical shaft or journal, and B a two-part stationary shell or housing similar to that shown in my previous application forrollerbearings filed December 27, 1898, Serial No. 700,299, which surrounds the same and is provided with an interior cylindric bearing-surface.

C C indicate antifriction-rollers which are interposed between the shaft A and the inner bearing-surface of the shell B. The said rollers are journaled at their ends in a cage consisting of rings or heads D D and a plurality of connecting-bars D2D2,between which the rollers have bearing contact with the shaft. The central openings in the heads D D are somewhat larger in diameter than the said'shaft, so that they are free from contact therewith, and the external diameter of the said heads is slightly less than the internal diameter of the shell B, in Which the said' cage is adapted to rotate.

Between the ends of the rollers and the heads D D of the cage are interposed ball-bearings consisting of eX- ternal bearing members E E', attached to the heads D D', respectively, inner bearing members or cones c c', herein shown as having the form of integral projections on the rollers, and bearing-balls G G. Said cage is divided, in a plane passing through the central axis of the same, into two equal and similar parts or sections, each having one-half of the total number of connecting-bars D2 D2. Each half or section is provided at one end with a semicircular flange D3, arranged in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the cage and IOC forming one-half of the head D, and at the other end with a similar and similarly-disposed flange D4, forming one-halt of the head D. Each section is provided on one side thereof with a longitudinal radial flange D5, which extends outwardly in the plane of the joint between the two parts of the cage and is united integrally with the edge of one ot' the said connecting-bars D2 and with the flange D3 at one end ot the section. Along the line of' junction of the said ange D5 and the connecting-bar D2, to which it is united, is formed a plurality of apertures CZ. The connecting-bar on the side diametrically opposite the said flange D5 is provided on' its outer edge with a plurality of projections or teeth d, adapted to be inserted in the apertures d in the flange D5of the otherof said parts when the two parts are united to com plete the cage, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.

The head D has an inwardly-directed oblique flange d2 on its rim, and against its outer face is rigidly secured, by riveting or otherwise, a flat ring D, having on its margin a similar outwardly-directed oblique flange (Z3, as shown in Fig. 12. The said ring DG is similar to the said head, and because of its flange being oppositely directed from that ofA the head and being rigidly united thereto, as shown, provides a V-shaped groove which eX- tends circumferentially around the head and constitutes what is familiarly known as a ball-race or the inner annular member of a ball-bearing. The shell Bis provided with a V-shaped groove b, which corresponds in shape with and is arranged opposite t the groove formed on the margin of` the head D in the manner described. Said grooveb forms 'the outer annular part of a ball-bearing, in which and the grooves of the head are inserted balls F F. The said ring D6 is also made of stamped metal and constructed in halves to facilitate placing the same about a shaft, each half of the ring being secured to the correspondinghalf of the cage-head. The parts or sections of the ring D6 are conveniently attached to'the flanges of the corresponding cage-sections by means of rivets d4, inserted through said parts and located between the bearing-cups E, which are attached to the cage-head D. The bearing-cu ps E, which are attached to the said head D of the cage, consist of flanged disks forming cups the outer ends or heads of which are closed, except for central rivet-holes, through which are inserted rivets d5, by which the cups are secured to the flanges D3 of the cage-sections. Said rivets pass through rivet-holes formed in said flanges, and the heads of the rivets rest in holes formed in thev ring D3 for their accommodation.

The bearing-cups E are attached to the head D of the cage bya screw-threaded con nection, affording adjustment of the said cups in the head, said cups being made, like the cups E, in the shape of flanged disks and being inserted in holes in the cage-head, the

cups having peripheral screw-threads engaging screw-threads in said holes. In order to provide suitable support for the cups, the flanges D4 of the cage-sections are reinforced by a ring DT, which is made of considerable thickness and consists of two parts or sections, which are attached to the inner faces of the said flanges D4. The parts of the ring D7 are secured to the flange Dj by rivets d?, located between the bearing-cups. Holes d8, screw-threaded to receive the bearing-cups, are formed in both the flange and reinforcingring, which together make the head thick enough to properly support and permit the necessary extent of adjustment of the bearing-cups. In order to enable the cups to be easily turned in the head in adjusting the bearings, said cups are provided with centrally-arran ged angular apertures adapted to receive a correspondiugly-shaped wrench or similar tool, by which the cups may be turned.

In order to facilitate the insertion and removal ot the rollers into and from the cage, the ring Dlis provided on its inner face with radial notches extending outwardly from the holes cl to the outer edge of' the ring. Said notches afford passage for the projecting cones c' on the rollers as the adjacent ends of the latter are moved inwardly past the edge of the ring. l

The shell or housing l5, as shown, is constructed in two equal parts, adapted to be rigidly joined longitudinally, as illustrated in Figs.Y 5 and 6. As a further improvement the joints between the two` parts are formed on spiral lines, and each of the half-shells is provided on one of its lateral edges with a longitudinal tongue and on its other lateral edge with a complemental groove, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 4, and 6, so that when the two half-shells are united the respective tongues and grooves intermesh and owing to the spiral line of contact lock the parts firmly together. Furthermore, lines of the joints being at all points oblique to the central axes of the rollers insures that they will pass smoothly and Without jar over the said joint.

Obviously the cage may be conveniently constructed with the longitudinal bars on the periphery ot said cage instead of adjacent to the shaft passing therethrough, as heretofore described, and such a construction is illus- .trated in Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, in

which the cage is shown longitudinally divided in the plane of the axis into two similar parts having peripheral longitudinal bars H integral with the heads 71, and h2. The radial longitudinal flange H is integral with a bar H on one side of each of the said parts, which extends inwardly in the plane of the joint between said parts. The said radial flange is integral with the heads at each end and serves to hold the same rigidly in position. Apertures are provided in said flanges in close proximity to the said bars, and the edge of the bar on the opposite side of the said halt'- shell is provided with projections adapted to lOO IIO

Ill;

interl'ock with said apertures. The half-rings 77,3 and h4in this construction serve the same purpose as do the half-rings d3 and D7 in the construction previously described and are similar thereto and similarly secured upon the heads, except that both half-rings, as shown in Figs. 16, 18, 19, and 20, are secured upon the outer side of the integral ends of the said parts of the cage, and obviously the radial notches shown in the half-rings in Figs. 7, 10, and 11 will be located at the inner margin of the flange. The bearing members are similar to those heretofore described and similarly secured to the heads. The lock-ring I, (shown in Fig. 20,) by the use of which the adjustable bearing members are held in permanent adjustment, have inner faces complemental to the outer end of the said bearing members and are provided with external screw-threads complemental to the screwthreads in the apertures in which the adjustable members are held. The said lock-rings are adapted to be screwed into the outer end of said apertures into jamming engagement with the adjustable bearing members after the same are adjusted in the head.

The making of the cage in two separable parts or sections having interlocking parts or recesses and projections has the important advantage of enabling the cage to be easily applied to a shaft, such as a piece of line-shafting, without the necessity of slipping the cage-heads or any part thereof endwise over the ends of the shaft. Interlocking recesses and projections arranged as described obviously serve to hold the two parts of the cage from endwise movement relatively to each other and to hold the heads of the section in the same plane. Obviously no means is required for rigidly locking together or joining the two sections otherwise than from endwise movement, inasmuch as the rollers being confined by the outer casing or housing can have no movement in a direction to permit lateral separation or shifting of the two parts of the cage.

So far as the main features of the invention are concerned the parts ,described may be made in any desired manner and of either cast or wrought metal. The main parts of the cage herein shown and particularly described are, however, made of sheet-metal parts st-amped or swaged to give them the desired shape, and to these main parts additional parts or pieces are attached to complete the cage. This construction affords a cage possessing the necessary strength and which can be very economically manufactured and is herein claimed as a separate part or feature of my invention.

The ball-bearing formed, as described, between the head D or h of the cage and the outer shell or casing by the circumferential grooves in said head and the groove in the inner surface of the shell or casing and the balls inserted in said grooves constitute a means of holding the cage and rollers from moving endwise with respect to the shaft yand casing. By reason of the casing being divided longitudinally the balls may be inserted in the said grooves without the employment of any separate or removable parts either on the shell or head, and this feature is herein claimed as part of my invention. The formation of the groove on the head by making the latter of two parts having inclined marginal flanges constitutes an improved feature of construction of especial value where the cage is made of sheet metal, and this feature is also herein claimed as part of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two semicylindric parts or sections divided longitudinally and provided with interlocking projections and recesses on their meeting edges holding said parts of the cage from both endwise and lateral movement.

2. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two parts or sections divided longitudinally; each part or section having end flanges anda longitudinal flange; said longitudinal flanges and the opposite edges of each section having interlocking apertures and projections.

3. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two'parts or sections of sheet metal, each having integral connecting-bars and end flanges, and reinforcing half-rings secured to one of said end flanges, said half-ri n g andend flange to which it is attached being provided with apertures to receive bearing members.

l. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two parts or sections of sheet metal each having integral connecting-bars and end anges, and half-rings attached to one of said end iianges, said half-rings and the anges to which they are attached being provided with oblique marginal flanges. forming one gooove of a ball-race.

5. A roller-bearing comprising a divided shell or housing having longitudinal spiral tongue-and-grooved joints, a shaft or journal, and rollers interposed between the shell or housing and the said shaft or journal.

6. A roller-bearing comprising a divided shell or housing having longitudinal spiral joints having an interior cylindric surface, a shaft within said shell, a plurality of rollers interposed between said shell and the shaft, and a longitudinally-divided cage surrounding said shaft.

7. A roller-bearing comprising an outer shell or casing, a shaft or journal within said shell, rollers interposed between the shell and the shaft or journal, a longitudinally-divided cage and ball-bearings for the ends of the rollers comprising external bearing members or cups which at one end of the cage are closed at their outer ends and secured by rivets or the like to the inner face of the cage-head.

8. A roller-bearing comprising a longitudinally-divided outer shell, having a cylindric inner surface provided near one end thereof with an interior bearing-groove, ashaft within said shell, rollers interposed between the shell and the shaft, and a cage for the rollers having in one of its heads a circumferential bearing-groove arranged in opposition to that in the outer shell and bearing-balls inserted in said grooves.

9. A roller-bearing comprising an exterior shell or casing having an interior cylindric surfacehaving near one end a bearing-groove, a shaft or journal within the shell or casing, rollers interposed between the shell or casing and the shaft or journal, and a cage for the said rollers; said cage being divided longitudinally into two parts or sections, each havin g atits ends flanges and havin gattached to the flange at one end thereof a half-ring, each half-ring and the flange to which it is attached being provided with inclined marginal flanges which together form a bearinggroove, opposite that in the shell or casing.

10. A roller-bearing comprising a plurality of rollers and a cage therefor, and ball-bearings for the ends of the rollers, said cage having atits ends flat radial heads, and the ballbearings at one end of the cage having sheetmetal cups which are secured each bya central rivet or the like to the inner face of the cage-head and those at the opposite end of the cage being inserted in and having screwthreaded engagement with apertures in the cage-head.

11. A roller-bearing comprising a plurality of rollers, a cage therefor and ball-bearings for the ends of the rollers, said cage consisting of a sheet-metal part embracing connecting-bars and heads formed by the iianges made integral with the bars, and reinforcingrings secured to the flange at one end of the cage, the outer bearing members or cups at one end of the cage being inserted in apertures formed in the end iiange and reinforcing-ring, and those at the opposite end of the cage having closed outer ends and being secured to the end flange by rivets.

12. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two parts or sections of sheet metal, each having integral peripheral connecting-bars and end flanges.

13. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two parts or sections divided longitudinally, each part or section having end anges and peripheral longitudinal connecting-bars and a longitudinal flange integral with one of said connecting-bars and said end flanges and lying in the plane of the joint.

14. A cage for roller-bearings comprising two parts or sections divided longitudinally, cach part or section having end flanges and longitudinal peripheral connecting-bars, and a longitudinal flange integral with said end flanges and one of said connecting-bars, said longitudinal ange and the opposite edge of each section having interlocking apertures and projections.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th dayof April, A. D. 1899.

AXEL LEVEDAIIL.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, C. W. IIILLs. 

